There is a great diversity of biological and cultural life in the Caucasus Mountains. The Caucasian Region (Circaucasia and Transcaucasia including) has a great diversity of biological and cultural species.
The Little Caucasus is home to approximately 6500 species of plants, including a large number of sub-endemics and endemics. The cultural diversity is huge – approximately. There are 170 nations and languages (!).
In terms of landscape and scenic beauty, Caucasus is one of the world’s most beautiful mountains. The highest mountain peak is Elbrus, 5600m above sea level. It has a large glaciation and is covered in dense forests, similar to some mountains in Europe’s Balkan Peninsula. However, the summers are mostly dry and sunny.
The Caucasus has been largely ignored by western travellers, rock gardeners, and “plant hunters”. This is probably due to the fact that there are four latent conflict zones in this region: Nagorny Karbach, Chechenia South Ossetia Abkhazia.
The inaccessibility to the Caucasus Main Range is another important factor. Only two car-accessible roads cross the more than 1500km long range, and the mountain crest is usually only accessible on foot or by donkey or horse.